St. Anne-Pacelli will have a new head football coach next season as Dwight Jones retires
St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School will have a new head football coach next season.
The school announced Thursday that Dwight Jones plans to retire at the end of this school year, concluding 44 years as a coach and physical education teacher.
“Coaching has been my life’s calling, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to do what I love for over 40 years,” Jones said in the school’s news release. “The relationships I’ve built with players, families and colleagues have been a blessing, and I’m excited to watch the Vikings continue to thrive.”
No successor has been hired. An advertisement for the job opening is posted on the school’s website at beaviking.com/about/employment.
“St. Anne-Pacelli is committed to finding a leader who will continue to build on the program’s strong foundation and uphold the school’s core values of faith, honesty, loyalty and respect,” the school said in the news release.
Jones has led the Vikings football program for six seasons. In 2022, the Vikings won their first state football championship, beating Stratford Academy 10-0 in the Georgia Independent Athletic Association Class 4A title game. Jones also notched his 150th career win that year.
Before joining St. Anne-Pacelli, Jones was head football coach at Harris County, Jones County, McIntosh, Northside and Hardaway in Georgia, and at Russell County and Auburn in Alabama.
“Coach Jones has been a tremendous asset to our school,” St. Anne-Pacelli Athletics Director Calvin Thomas said in the news release. “His influence extended far beyond the football field, shaping the lives of countless student-athletes and fostering a culture of discipline, perseverance and faith. While we are sad to see him go, we are deeply grateful for his dedication and wish him the very best in retirement.”
Jones will retire with an overall head football coaching record of 173-180 in 33 seasons, including 46-22 in six seasons at St. Anne-Pacelli after he left Russell County:
- 2024: 5-6
- 2023: 8-3
- 2022: 12-1
- 2021: 8-3
- 2020: 8-4
- 2019: 5-5
Mark “Dre” LeGree resigned as St. Anne-Pacelli’s head football coach three days after the Vikings ended their 2018 season with a 4-6 record, a surprise decision considering they had improved from a winless season the first year he coached his alma mater. But the Vikings were ranked 32nd out of 37 teams in the Georgia High School Association Class A Power Ratings for private schools. The top 24 teams qualified for the state playoffs.
